It was about two in the afternoon and the day was beautiful; crisp zephyrs permeated the warm Savannah Central air inundating a delightful feeling of goosebump-euphoria to all who decided to wear short sleeves today. All this was also felt inside, however, since because of the marvelous weather, and partially because of the G.R.E.E.N initiative by Mayor Lionheart, the massive windows and doors of the Precinct One was opened so it felt like a breezeway or a massive gazebo.
Officers Fangmeyer, Delgato, and McHorn stood chummily by the reception desk keeping Clawhauser company while on their lunch breaks. Today was a slow day, every place of employment has those, but things in precinct one felt especially stagnant.
"Have you guys heard of Gazelle's upcoming concert in a couple months featuring D33JAYMAU5 and Jack R?" Clawhauser chirped out in happiness, his exclamation carried like a flock of pigeons through the vast lobby. He held up his phone which was playing the '2k17 NEW YEAR REVIVAL PARTY' trailer on EweTube. In the video it featured some track teasers of Latin pop music with deep house electronic influences and plenty of flashy lights and punchy colors.
Without even allowing the video to end, Clawhauser snatched his phone away from the eyes of his friends and jutted the phone back a nose length from his eyes, soaking in the music and provocative visuals of his favorite singer. "It's going to be amazing!" Clawhauser's voice lilting mellifluously and his tail coiling like a spring.
Officer McHorn let out a low chuckle at his friend's excitement, but ended up shaking his head, letting out a retired sigh, and then putting his hands on his utility belt. "Eh… I don't know Ben, electro isn't really my style. Now, if it was some Bear Dylan then it'll be a good time." He smiled as Clawhauser shot him a deadpan stare.
"Oh, please let me know when you'll join us in 2017." The portly cheetah rolled his eyes and waved a hand dismissively at McHorn. "Come on, old mammal, it's going to be great! Techno is very in." Clawhauser insisted. His tail curled amorously as returned to watching the ending of the video.
Delgato chuckled at McHorn's usual disinterest. "Aw, come on McHorn, you both can be robocops!" The lion then started to dance like a half-inspired robot, earning laughter from the group, save for McHorn of course who instead snorted at his subordinate.
Fangmeyer grinned and scratched the area behind her ear. "I don't think that you have a choice McHorn, it's either go or receive forty to life of puppy eyes from Benjamin." She looked to Ben and with a wink he was cued to produce a quite pitiful pair of sad eyes to his stoic superior.
The rhino cop then huffed out a sigh and shook his head. "I may check it-"
McHorn's abdication was interrupted as screeching tires was heard outside, followed by a slamming of a car door (then a second, softer door close) and finally lithe, hurrying pawsteps towards the Precinct One's doors. The group of officers hanging around the reception looked at each other in bewilderment and then got up from their slouching positions, fully prepared for the next few moments with anticipation.
They didn't have to wait long as Judy's long ears came into view first, then the rest of her, her eyes aimed for the offices past the reception, on corridor two, and down the hall. The big foyer happened to pick up her miniscule, muffled footsteps, but to the surrounding officers they were like footsteps of a giant. The group stayed quiet, their eyes on the freshly aloof bunny pursuing her errand in stride, her purple eyes not once acknowledging her comrades. Left behind in her wake, taking huge, thirsty gulps of air at the herculean doors, stood Judy's temporary partner, a young lynx named Nicole Felina.
Not missing a beat once Judy disappeared into the offices, Officer McHorn whistled and waved a hand at the rookie, beckoning her over. The newbie looked up with her fluffy ears standing at attention and then jogged over to them.
Nicole Felina is a smaller mammal, about the same height as the average fox, with a beautiful pattern of light sand-gold and jet-black spots on her coat. Her ears stood tall with darker tufts of fur emanating from her ears and her paws. Her face was pretty no doubt, but you could clearly tell she was quite the naive one; a stark contrast of Judy who, by now, clearly looks and plays the part that her new position, commanding lieutenant.
"Yes sir, Officer McHorn, sir?" She looked up to him, back straight, trying to look professional, but a nervous twinkle sparkle in her eyes gave her vanilla away. The rest of the group smirked at her attitude, but their lips remained sealed, except for Clawhauser who let out a barely audible 'aww'.
"At ease." He professionally stated, his own back ramrod straight before relaxing himself and putting his elbow on the reception desk. "Good afternoon Miss Felina, how's Judy, is she doing okay today?" Pure concern shone in the rhino's eyes. Clawhauser, Fangmeyer, and Delgato also leaned in to listen.
Nicole looked down at her twiddling thumbs before answering, drawing her stellar eyes up to McHorn. "She's her usual self I suppose... Talks little, busy body as always, she leaves me in the dust most of the times." Nicole let out an ersatz giggle and allowed her tail to flip out of chagrin. She then coughed into her fist before scrolling her gaze around at them all for a second before lowering her head slightly. "Er… I honestly didn't expect this while working with the famed Judy Hopps. Folks back at the academy threw Judy's name around like she was some hero who exceeded all expectations."
"Which is undeniably true." Fangmeyer quickly foisted.
Nicole paused and peered at the bigger cat and averted her gaze down to her resting thumbs as she continued. "But honestly, she's not at all what I've come to expect from the 'Hero Cop of Zootopia'. She's abrasive, standoffish, and sometimes she do weird things like just stare off into the distance or take us to the warehouse district or…" The Young lynx bit her tongue as the surrounding officers continued their looks with silence.
McHorn, Delgato, Fangmeyer, and Clawhauser shared an interlude for a moment as they knew perfectly well the reason that Judy is acting the way she is. They concretely knew the reason why Judy is so sour nowadays, always working, and giving her new partner a hard time.
McHorn held his frown and looked to Delgato and Fangmeyer, the latter then placed a reassuring paw on Nicole's back. "Stay in there hon, it's still quite the honor to work with her. Bogo paired you two because she has proven especially talented in offering a new perspective on what it means to be in the ZPD; what it means to be a servant of the public. This is good, and she knows it too. For now though, she's a bit prickly for a very good reason, a very private reason."
The male lion next to his fellow officers held his frown and pulled himself into a tight pose with his arm crossed as he watched the interactions. After Fangmeyer said what she has to say she looked to him for consideration to which he hesitantly eased into. "I'm sure everything will work out in the end. Just stay in there newbie." Delgato nodded to Nicole, his feelings clearly showing on his face as he brushed away a cowlick from his face. Fangmeyer shot him a glare and he responded with a shrug.
Ignoring the valiant sugarcoating of his coworkers, McHorn forlornly added, "She wasn't always like this." His voice was like the overpowering tinge of sour milk as he reflected the contrast of how Judy was before Nick got critically wounded.
The group of cops, besides Nicole, looked to the ground in shared despondency. Nicole looked to them all in turn before her curious green eyes rested back on Officer McHorn. "May I ask what happened?" She whispered out, her eyes curious and her furry ears like the open meadows.
The senior officers too looked to McHorn to answer that question. The big rhino sighed and shifted his weight on the counter; the counter groaned in response, then he then nodded to indicate her to come closer. When she got a few steps closer McHorn lowered his head and started to speak.
(-)
With paws like lightning, Judy finished typing three investigation reports, transferring audio testimonials from her phone to the computer both in writing and mp3 file, emailing them all to Chief Bogo, a copy for records, and then an extra one to her personal email in record time before scampering out of the offices back to the lobby. She was running a tad late on her most imminent and important appointment.
She checked her phone for the time and began a light jog. Her footsteps pittered-pattered off the shiny linoleum floors of the corridors and then tentatively echoed into the valley that more so pretended to be the foyer of the Precinct. As she hurried she saw that her temporary replacement was gathered around the reception desk along with McHorn, Fangmeyer, and Delgato. When she drew nearer she could tell that the group was chatting about something privately, they were so close that their various furs, except for McHorn, could be braided together by some cute girl in a dress. Judy's ears radioed in on them, the twitching lengths like a hungry bottomless pit.
As she passed the reception desk the group lifted their heads with some degree of inconspicuousness, but Judy still eyed them with a crooked brow. "Clawhauser, I'm going on my break." Judy said, her feet then quickly carrying her towards the big double doors.
"Ma'am yes ma'am, enjoy your break!" Clawhauser said half sure if he wasn't allowed to speak to her.
The group slowly took a couple steps towards the door as Judy exited the building. "It'll be a good thing if you don't repeat anything we told you to her. Any kind of conversation about Nick is a surefire way to get your eyes clawed out." McHorn warned the newbie.
Nicole nodded slowly as she watched the bunny exit the building. Upon hearing Judy's patrol car crank up Nicole squeaked in alarm and ran out of the Precinct to catch up to her partner.
Nicole hurried down the steps of the ZPD headquarters and dashed out into the parking lot. "HEY!" The lynx waved her arms above her head to get Judy's attention. "HEY!" Judy stopped her rumbling vehicle beside her and raised an eyebrow at her from the driver side of the car.
"What?" Judy asked, her voice reached the lynx's ears like the disregard of a cigarette butt in the empty street.
Nicole slightly recoiled as that word fell off her tongue. She steeled herself with a brisk shake of her head. "I would like to accompany you on break, if you don't mind." Nicole clasped together her palms in avidity.
After a couple seconds of staring, Judy shook her head. "Unfortunately, I do mind." Something flashed in her eyes, an emotion too quick for Nicole's eyes to catch it, but blue lightning certainly fell in her dull purple eyes.
"Please? I won't talk, I promise…" Nicole insisted, smiling. She only wanted to spend more time with the famous Judy Hopps that uncovered the greatest scandal in Zootopia's history. She did, however, wondered how such a hero could've been affected so negatively that she would have a whole change of character. How close was she and this Nick character anyways? Weren't they just partners? Aren't they two different animals? Not only that, but aren't they also predator and prey? Certainly nothing romantic could form between a predator and a prey.
Judy executed a long, deliberate blink before answering. She looked at her phone once more before sighing in submission. She peeked at Nicole for a glance before motioning that she could join her.
Not before long, the two was barreling down the bypass in the fast lane. The ride was smooth, and quite relaxing; starkly contrasted against the aura of anxiety and depression that seemed to inundate the suddenly claustrophobic car cabin around Judy as she drove in tangible silence. Silence was like a boa constrictor.
Nicole brought her gaze from the beautiful sky above down to her arm which was propped up on the passenger side door and then over to Judy who's eyes resembled a sopping ball of yarn. She had noticed that they've been following the blue signs for the hospital for the duration of songs by Gazelle, Kendrick Pawmar, and Kanine West. From what she was told by Officer McHorn: Nick is still in critical condition at the hospital and that Judy spends whatever time she has at the hospital. So in conclusion, Nicole put two and two together and now her attention was fully on the upset bunny.
Nicole changed her sitting position to a more conversational one, but before she let out a single word, McHorn's warning drifted back into her mind.
It'll be a good thing if you don't repeat anything we told you to her.
Nicole however stared into the fire and with a sneer jumped head first into the fire's greedy maw as if she thought shit wouldn't burn on her.
With confidence she asked, "Are we going to see Officer Wilde?"
Judy eyes widened slightly and her gaze seemed distant as though she was staring at a ghost in the middle of the road. Her paw grip tightened around the steering wheel, so tight in fact her claws could be heard poking and kneading the rubber wheel. Her body was piano strings as the seconds went by.
"What… did… what did you say?" Judy eked out, the tension springing from it's previously wound position.
Nicole felt instant regret as soon as the question left her lips. Her nice, conversational smile and posture deprecated into an uneasy frown and a defensive form against door, you know, just in case Judy would keep to McHorn's legend of scratching her eyes out.
"Officer W-Wilde… N- Nick, your old partner… is that who we're going to see?" Nicole muttered out, her 3 foot-something stature shrinking under Judy's smothering gaze.
"First of all: he is still my partner, you are just a temporary replacement." Judy was clenching to the steering wheel so tightly that Nicole was fearful that the wheel would come right off. "Two: didn't you promise that you were going to be quiet?" Judy spat.
Nicole seemed shocked at the air of hostility that permeated the interior of the car. Her green eyes looked everywhere but the irate bunny to her left. The bold, naive lynx then held her hands together in embarrassment and hung her head down in shame. She was warned not to make any conversations about Nick to Judy, now she've done and angered one of her role models. "I- I- I'm sorry… I- I was just worried about you…"
Judy merged into the far right lane. "I am not the one anyone should be worried about." Her voice was dark as it oozed from her jaws. She then said matter-factly, "I am not the one dying in a hospital bed. I am not the one who have tubes down my mouth." Judy's lips began to tremble and her tone wavered as though she was fighting back tears. Her emphasis on the word 'not' was felt within Nicole like a knee to the gut.
"I'm not the one, who has an incompetent, selfish partner who gets you into trouble, breaks protocol, and almost kills you in the process." Judy exited down the off ramp and came to a stop light a quarter of a mile in. Tears threatened to emancipate from her reddening eyes as she tried to push back her heavy emotions as far up the slope of her mind as she could struggle.
Nicole stared down at her exposed, clenched toes in angst as she barely picked up Judy's final words. "I did this to you… I'm so sorry Nick." Her voice was as choppy as the waves admist a tropical storm.
The two sat at the long, immutable stop light in silence as Judy swallowed down the course stone of sorrow. Her depression seemed to deepen as she continued to think about what she did to her dear partner. Her head felt as though it held up the ocean's seaweed fresh from the depths of it. She didn't even bother looking up, even as horns of impatient, annoyed drivers behind her began blaring at her as the lights above blinked green.
Nicole looked scared, she didn't know whether to console her or leave her alone. She flinched in chagrin as other vehicular patrons drove past them, horns blaring, and hi-beams flashing, and not-so-friendly gestures of irritability being thrown up. The lynx gulped and looked over to Judy, she felt so sorry for her. Nicole mentally slapped herself, she was irrefutably warned not to mention Judy's hospitalized partner, but she did so anyways. That thought again kicked her mind around in regret.
"M- Miss Hopps… Judy, are you okay?" Nicole reached out a caring hand to her superior, she then halted her progress. What if she takes offense, what if she refuses me again? Nicole took another glance at Judy and gulped at the look of lost and depression in her eyes. What do I have to lose… perhaps an eye maybe… Nicole sighed silently to herself and mustered up the courage to place a hand on Judy's back.
She could feel her tense up a bit at her touch. "Judy…?" Nicole reiterated. "I'm sorry-"
"I'm fine."
Nicole frowned as Judy shrugged her hand away from her. She felt as though she was just left in a darkened supermarket standing in front of the cloud-breathing, frozen cabinets by her faceless mother.
Judy drove off away from the stop light and onwards to the hospital. After about a couple minutes of driving and turning and stopping, Judy looked over at Nicole. An imp of poignant compunction danced over Judy's heart with cleated shoes as she took in the grand episode of their car ride. Her frown deepened and she reached over to place a paw on Nicole's leg.
"I'm fine." Judy said in a more convincing tone. "Really." Judy flashed her gaze over to the young lynx once more, this time with a less-than-forced half smile.
"Thank you… Nicole."
(-)
Judy signed the hospital visitor sheet and hurriedly walked the long, pristine, white hallways of the hospital towards the elevators. She pressed the 'going up' button and waited. She couldn't wait to see him. The expectation of his fur tickling her initiated a wave of goosebumps beneath her pelt. His natural, vulpine scent enticed her nostrils with every inhale, his scent was like heady hair pomade. Oh, sweet cheese and crackers, she couldn't wait. Judy looked up to the floor counter and the lit down arrow. Watching the dull lights descend, her body lit sparklers in her heart and released a million butterflies in her stomach.
FL: 3
FL: 2
FL: 1
Ding!
Judy smiled as the wide, pewter doors opened, allowing the current passengers to exit. She then hopped into the elevator and pressed the loose button numbered '7'. She looked past the coconut water walls and up at the LED upwards directional sign next to the climbing red numbers as she fished thoughts from the back of her mind to the foreground. Maybe today will be the day that he wakes up. Maybe today will be the day that he'll hold me back. Maybe today will be the day that he calls me a dumb bunny like he used to. Judy giggled as the light hearted thoughts of vigor and good health striking Nick awake. What if he… what if today he kisses me back? Judy clasped her paws onto her face as a deep rose blush exploded on her face. She made a weird nasal sound as she thought of her handsome prince waking up to a kiss by the 'super heroine bunny of Zootopia'.
The elevator slowly stopped it's ascent to floor seven Judy's heart was close to exploding with ebullience. She took a step out the elevator and was almost blindsided by a team of doctors and nurses rushing through the 7th floor corridor barking orders to each other. Judy eye's followed them as they headed down the same hall.
"What happened nurse?" Judy could hear the doctor, a badger, ask one of the nurses beside her.
"Patient's heart stop beating again." The mink replied.
"Room…" The doctor took the medical docket from the mink then lifted a pinch-full of pristine lab papers to inspect the code status of the patient. "7 dash 32...?"
Judy's heart felt as though it slammed into a brick wall. Room 7 dash 32B was Nick's room. She followed the team on her toes with her ears pricked.
"Room 7 dash 32 A" The badger restated. "Excuse me." The team dashed into the room directly across from Nick's and closed the door behind themselves.
Judy felt the urge to hurl her utility belt at the good doctor for scaring her like that. Still though, it didn't help that she knew that Nick was still in dire straits at the moment. A team of doctors could be rushing to his room any day now, and she just knew it.
Judy stopped outside Nick's door and took this moment to flatten any unruly fur on her with saliva-slicked paws. Judy pulled her ears back as though she was preparing for a picture and then put on an excited smile. Okay, Nick here I come!
Just as Judy's paw reached for the worn, brass door handle, the door opened wide with a whoosh of air. The scent of cinnamon and light cologne hit her twitching nose. And to her surprise, she was face to face with Finnick.
Finnick's light brown eyes grew in surprise and slight part bewilderment as he found out Judy was looking down at him. He looked almost as though he was going to retreat back into the room to escape her, he was so caught off guard. He caught himself and then put on a sly smirk that almost mimicked Nick's own sauvy sneer. It must be a fox thing. He then spoke, "Fancy seeing the fuzz up in the hospital."
Judy's gaze never left his smirking muzzle and only the subtle leaning back of her body did she move. Finally physically pulling herself from the stupor she found herself in, she questioned: out of all people, visiting Nick, why Finnick? He usually seems so disconnected from Nick, especially since he joined the ZPD, for obvious reasons. She was the only person that she knew that visits him now. "Yeah, I was just here to see Nick." She looked at him for a second longer this time allowing the mutual familiarity show in her tone. "Fancy seeing you here as well… miss your daddy?" She joked, shooting him her own smug look.
Finnick's face lost its smugness and was replaced with a tired look in his eye and a less-than-pleased frown. "Yah, har har har. Was just checking up on him, seeing if he was still alive…" A flash of sadness blinked in his eyes, but any remnants of that flashed away. "Really was surprised that someone actually popped him," Finnick made a gun with his small hand and pointed it up at the door jamb beside him, Judy blinked. "I mean, I've worked with him with many different jobs and never did anyone ever get as close as," Finnick thrusted a paw towards his old, sleeping friend. "You know."
Judy felt sadness crawl up her spine again, she felt like Finnick should be spitting mad at her for letting Nick get hurt on the job with her. A frown weighed down her face, "I'm sorry… I can understand if you're angry with me…" Judy's head hung low and her ears drooped like a leaf encompassed by fresh morning dew.
Finnick looked at Judy for a couple of seconds, his mood secretly falling with hers. He barely let his head hang for a second before picking it back up though, shaking it, and then forcing a smile. "Nah, don't worry too much about it, he shouldn't been diving into things he wasn't bred to do." He paused, half expecting for Judy to lambaste him for such a closed perspective, but she served him only a blink so he continued. "Besides, Nick's a big animal now, he's going to make it just fine." The tiny fox then looked to the side and threw his paws into his pockets, "Anyways, I gotta bounce; too much sadness goes on around here… cramping my style." He walked past Judy and headed towards the elevators. He pulled his shades out of his shirt and put them on. "Ciao." He said finally before disappearing.
Judy's unblinking gaze followed the fennec fox until he disappeared into the elevator. Her mind ran over their conversation and tried to make sense of it all. I'm just overthinking things. The country bunny then shook her head to clear her mind of the unprecedented bump in with Finnick and continued through the door of Nick's hospital room.
Warm light from the afternoon sun passed through tall, tan fabric blinds, lighting up the room in a marigold blaze. The warm, crumbly scent of cinnamon and the sharp, tuxedo remnants of Finnick's cologne perfumed the still air. Behind those scents and a lot more earthy, the scent of blueberries, and a bouquet of sweet peas, sweet autumn clematis, and hyacinth kissed the air sweetly, brought Judy back home. She couldn't help but grin at the wistful, bubbly world that she was transported to, briefly, because like a lasso she was wrenched back to reality by the tiny beeps and soft sounds of machines working in cohesion as though it was the music of the room. All felt comfortable, regarding. The only way it could get even more comfortable is if Nick woke up right this moment and utter out some snarky, sarcastic reply.
Judy stepped in and closed the door behind her with a thack that hushed the room. It was an overwhelming lure that wrapped around Judy's neck and brought the suffocating bunny closer to the bed that held the still love of her life. With each silent step she took towards him she anticipated him to spring up and surprise her. She hoped with all her might, at least so she could start breathing again.
Step
Step
She held herself gingerly as the medical equipment seemed to crowd around her, pushing and shoving like professors urging that she pay attention. Crowding around her poking and prodding. 'See what you did.' 'This is what happens when you do not follow protocol.' 'The fox stinks; smell like a fox buried underneath ginger and ginseng.'
Step
Step
Step
I won't even care if this is the biggest, most elaborate prank you've ever schemed. Just wake up. I'll still give you the best reaction, then you can dub me the dumbest bunny of all the land, I wouldn't care. If you're going to surprise me, do it now, come on you ex-con, con me. Con me. Con me. Con me…
Step
Step
Step
Judy reached his bedside and stared solemnly into his face, somewhat disappointed that her prayers weren't answered. It's okay, as long as he's alive. A tiny voice in the back of her mind whispered.
Slowly, she strained a small smile as she looked endearingly at her fox. His face, his sleeping face seemed so silently content to be asleep. Her smile faltered, but she continued to gaze at him, at his handsome face. Soon she found herself reminiscing of how that face out make her smile. The goofy expressions he'll make while they had stakeouts just to lighten the boredom. The way he raised his eyebrows once Judy said something sly. The way he'll pull a suave smirk when he was trying to seduce Judy, and she wouldn't care… That face right there gave her so much life. A velvety cloud of longing hung heavy in her blossoming eyes as she peered into his rusty, peaceful features.
She then looked to his mouth and a slight blush enveloped her cheeks and her tail flicked in interest. She felt almost compelled to see if she would awake him by a kiss… then again, it didn't work the first several times she'd tried… so it most likely wouldn't work now...
"Hey, Nick." Her voice was dulcet, her eyelashes batted twice upon speaking his name.
"I'm back today." Judy's smile hung like a wreath as she leaned on the bed enthusiastically, her paws grasping the plastic, white bed rails, her face leaning close to his. She took a glutted lung full of his earthy, savory scent.
"You're looking well," Curious purple eyes flickered to the machine next to the bed as it read his vitals. "Looking as great as ever, Wilde." She took another deep breath, her nostrils sampling every flavor in the air. Something caught her attention, it was like blueberries, but leathery in a way; artificial in another.
Judy looked to the cluttered bedside to a small white table that hosted on its top the bouquet of flowers in a porcelain vase. Around that vase, strung with what seemed like the gentlest of diligence, was a little trinket that Judy found amusing. She chortled, "Blueberry car-fragrance tree, huh? From Finnick I presume?" Judy asked her sleeping partner, she conversationally turned her head to him as though she expected an answer. She then turned and leaned against the bed rails and folded her arms, her head slightly tilted up.
"Yah know, I actually ran into him earlier, I even joked that he missed his daddy." Judy snickered. I do too as well. She thought to herself. "I know that you would've howled in delight to see the expression on his face." Judy snickered again, this time subconsciously just trying to fill gaps in her sentences with any sort of sound. It was a certain type of white hell to listen to the listless beeping and whirring around her.
However with little else to say and more on her mind to do something, Judy let the room the fall into silence again. With somber eyes studying the white and beige instruments around her, she then slowly turned and put her gaze on her fox. Nick's chest rose and fell rhythmically in tune to a flat beep. An occasional whirl sang out as a small bag filled with a liquid of some sort pumped. Life support systems orchestrated the expensive dirge that played in the room. Suddenly she felt as if she stared into the belly of a massive white and chrome dungeon called As she came to the next topic in her mind, her tiny heart began to race. Her heart raced and scurried and to counter she began breathing controlled, smooth breaths through pursed lips to calm herself as she prepared to speak.
"I've been making headway in the case we failed last month… I've been a busy bee!" Judy lifted her hands in excitement, and in little part trying to alleviate the stress that came with the topic, before letting them fall back to her sides with a soft pat.
In a softer tone she continued more seriously, "I've been working non-stop for the both of us." A determined, fiery look in her eyes blazed as she continued. "I promise that I'll find whoever shot you, and I'm going to throw the biggest book at whoever did it and make sure that they rot in jail!" Judy started to grind her teeth in anger. "And then after they rot I'm going throw their sorry carcass into a shoebox and bury it somewhere far away." Her tiny fists clenched as she fumed.
She ground her teeth for a few moments more before angrily huffing and then kicking an invisible ball across the room with a final huff.
As the fire in her chest ebbed away she began to calm down, and as she watched Nick her happiness steadily returned. A smug look then creeped on her face and she raised her chin, mimicking Nick's own trademarked cavalier. "What did you say? I'm the greatest bunny to ever live?" Judy smiled at him, "Oh, don't say anything if it's true…"
She stood in silence for a couple moments, her face shadowed in lamentation. I shouldn't have said that… I would rather be the dumbest bunny alive if it were to mean that you would wake up right now. But somehow she knew that he would fine hilarity in her dark joke.
After a couple minutes of silent mourning, Judy then looked back up to her partner. Her heart began pulling the strings to her body's ambulation. Her mind let her heart take the wheel, and the rest of body did nothing to object. Slowly, she pulled herself up on Nick's bed, minding every wire and tube, and then gently inserted herself next to him, nestled comfortably under his arm. She pulled up her legs and slipped them under the thick cotton blankets and then wrapped her legs around Nick's right leg in a cuddling fashion.
Imprudently comfortable, Judy took a deep, lung filling breath of Nick's scent. As she inhaled she tugged at his rough red fur in bliss that dilated her eyes and then without wasting a beat, she slipped her hand underneath his crinkly hospital gown and ran her paw through his soft, fluffy belly fur. Judy smiled giddily and continued to feel over the fox's delicate underbelly.
Slowly, her paw sashayed side to side and up from Nick's hips up to his chest then back down. His springy fur… his strong, toned muscles underneath… his steady breathing… his heartbeat… his wires and tubes… his scar...
"Wake up, wake up, wake up my dear partner."
.
"Please…"
"I miss you more than you know."
(-)
Nicole frowned at her phone warning her that her phone's battery was at fifteen percent and that she needed to charge it soon. She rolled her bored eyes and switched on power save mode. Just to think, she arrived at the hospital when her phone was at ninety-three percent. The lithe lynx stood to stretch. "How long have I been here?"
The lynx looked at her wristwatch and frowned as she took in the time: 7:32 pm. It's late… She knew that she had said that she'll wait for her and that she'll be fine, and she'll be more than happy to leave the patrol car here, but now she was starting to regret it. Sure, Netfilm kept her satiated for the first two hours, then a podcast of the evening news, and finally up to now she was scribbling on her phone writing poetry. What is taking Judy so long? Nicole puffed out her nostrils before forcing her tail not to visibly twitch. She shot her poison green eyes towards the clerk speaking to a patient and pointing something on a clipboard.
After finding out Officer Wilde's room number, 7-32B, she rode an elevator up. Within the cramped elevator with a couple of clearly sore-foot nurses, a doctor, and a teenage punk, she could only look with laser beams at the innocuous picture of a simple happy clown wishing staff to have a great day. Stupid clown.
Our break should have ended hours ago. She can be moody all she wants, but she is not going to bring me down with her. She huffed indignantly. As she exited the elevator. I'm going to be one of the greatest officers anyone has ever seen one day. I can't do that by sitting in a waiting room for hours. Nicole stomped down the hallway of the seventh floor. Oh yeah, leave me in the waiting room for four hours, huh? Well, I'm about to give her a piece of my mind!
She reached the door of 32B and grasped the cold brass handle. She swallowed and readied her retort towards the senior bunny officer. Even though hairballs played in her abdomen tickling her resolve, she pushed through the anxiety and yanked on the lever, the door clicking. "Here we go…" Nicole growled.
Nicole opened the door slowly and stepped in, her mouth poised with ammo in the form of frustration, she didn't mind confronting Judy now, she was ready to speak her mind.
"Miss Officer H-" Right off the bat Nicole's intended remark grew thick in her throat as she tried to comprehend what her eyes were recording. Before her, sleeping soundly as the animal next to her, is the famed hero of Zootopia, Judy Hopps.
She was closely nuzzled next to the fox and was even snoring as though she hadn't slept in weeks. Her rise and fall of her chest was doing double time compared to Nick's. She looked more peaceful than she had seen her in the last few weeks of being her replacement partner. While taking a closer inspection, from the door because Nicole was too shocked to budge an inch, she could see that she was actually smiling contently as she slumbered.
Without even Judy explaining firsthand, she could clearly assume the true relationship of Judy and her old partner. They were a lot more than simply work partners. They were probably a lot more than simply best friends as well. Nicole gasped as she started to understand the grand scheme of things. The way that Judy visits him every day during breaks and after work. The way she breaks down at the slightest mentioning of his name. The way that she is cuddled up to him now, there could be only one explanation.
She loved him…
